Mark Tronson is a retired Baptist minister who founded in 1982 the Sports and Leisure Ministry (under Heads of Churches), was the Australian Cricket Team chaplain for 17 years to 2001 and a receiptent of the Olympic Ministry Medal presented by Olympian of the Century Carl Lewis in 2009, an author of 24 books and a prolific writer.
In this series on Miracles, Mark Tronson is taking the reader of a journey of faith through his own ministry illustrating time and time again how the Lord's touch blossomed a situation where the only response was to offer praise to the Almighty.
Christian Ministries and Missions across the centuries can point to similar outcomes which has resulted not so much in new buildings but in both the intangible and tangible such as changed lives for Jesus or the excess of alcohol converted into children's shoes.
The fifth in this series on miracles is that of Mark Tronson's ministry of Country Town Tours, a term coined by Well-Being Australia board member Vic Matthews.
Country Town Tours is a term which illustrates the nature of the ministry's focus, that of taking athletes and coaches to regional and rural Australia as mentors, role models and examples to young people of Christian principles lived within the context of a professional life.
To this extent, Country Town Tours have included a wide range of professional people, from businessmen to entertainers, to television personalities, to sportsmen and women and others who have excelled in a particular field of endeavour.
Australia does not have the celebrity status syndrome that is common place in America. For one thing, the population of Australia is too small, in that with only 22 million, the sports star is more than likely someone you went to school with, or a friend of someone's. The normality of life is across the board and it touches one and all.
Having said that, Australians like to hear the stories of celebrity figures as the stories themselves add grandeur and mystery to such life styles, whereas the reality is that when you're on the road, boredom and loneliness is the norm and an issue that many have tried to deal with through alcohol, drugs, sexual encounters, gambling and the like. All of which have bought many a person's life to despair and often ruin.
Country Town Tours in other words, as much conveys a philosophical message as it does anything else. When on Country Town Tours the host organisers arrange the speaking visits. These have ranged as wide as schools, service clubs, prisons, youth groups, churches, scouts and guides, sports dinners, breakfasts, luncheons, coffee and cheese mornings and afternoon teas, rallies, camps and even boat and cruises.
Newspaper, radio and television interviews are common and in a rural community when such a celebrity comes to town, it seems as though everyone gets involved.
The elite athletes and coaches gave up their time to engage in Country Town Tours. Mark Tronson was speaking to the Baptist Minister from Goondiwindi recently who had come to that congregation a years after jockey Darren Beadman and footballer Ian Barkley had done a Country Town Tour. His response was that the town still speaks of that Country Town Tour and its positive effects are still being evidenced.
Mark Tronson has enjoyed the company of numerous athletes and coaches over 29 years on Country Town Tours. Andy Harper the soccer commentator is one, another is Bruce Thomas the Ultra Iron Man, still another Tony Dunkerley of football, Greg Chappell has spoken for him at a sports dinner event, Angela Harris of swimming. Mackay's Channel 7 News did a feature on Bruce Thomas in the mid 90's. The list goes on and on.
He's also been interviewing these sports stars for the Australian Missionary News IPTV which can be viewed both on his own web site and also on his You Tube channel. This has added a remarkable bonus to this outreach.
The miracles of the Country Town Tours have included the celebrities that have given their time, the host organisers who have been overwhelmed by the responses and the opportunities given in this fashion to ensure the program has integrity and the spirit of the Lord.